Lawrence Biondi
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Lawrence Biondi, S.J., is the president of Saint Louis University. He has been a professor, a department chair, and a dean. He has been president since 1987.
During his tenure, Biondi has focused on recruiting the faculty and students, increasing the University's academic reputation, and developing the University as a major research center.
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[edit] Biography
A Chicago native, Biondi holds six degrees. His master's degree in linguistics (1966) and his doctorate in sociolinguistics (1975) both were conferred by Georgetown University. He has three degrees from Loyola University Chicago and a licentiate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology at Chicago, and he has been dubbed a Knight of the Italian Order of Merit by the president of Italy. In 1999, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch named Biondi one of St. Louis' "Citizens of the Century." In 1999, he won the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Arthritis Foundation, Eastern Missouri Chapter. In 2001, The St. Louis Ambassadors honored Biondi with the Leon R. Strauss Urban Pioneer Award, which is given to an individual in the St. Louis community who has contributed greatly to the development, restoration or improvement of St. Louis. The Council for Advancement and Support of Educational also recognized Biondi in 2001 with the Chief Executive Leadership Award for CASE District 6.
Since becoming an administrator, Biondi has spent millions beautifying the campus including tens of thousands of dollars on statues, which now dot the campus. There has been controversy over the university spending money on nude statues and statues that depict a white priest standing over bowing Native Americans. In 2007, activists draped an upside down American flag, bearing the word Arawak, on the statue to highlight its racist nature.
In 2005, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch named Father Biondi the Citizen of the Year.
Fr. Biondi was trapped in Lebanon during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon Conflict. He was removed from the conflict after boarding a Greek-owned, American funded vessel to Cyprus with other Americans "stranded" in Lebanon. He was able to return to St. Louis safely. Another priest from St. Louis, Reverend Andre Mhanna, who accompanied Biondi to Beirut, stayed behind to minister to the wounded.
[edit] Tenure at Saint Louis University
In 2007, Fr. Biondi marked his 20th year as President of SLU, the second longest run of any of SLU's presidents. His time at SLU has witnessed improvements across the board.[1]
| 1987 | 2007 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average ACT score of entering freshmen | 22.7 | 26.4 |
| Student-to-teacher ratio | 16 to 1 | 13 to 1 |
| Endowed chairs and professorships | 16 | 51 |
| Full-time ranked faculty | 718 | 1297 |
| Number of freshmen | 1,077 | 1,604 |
| Residence hall occupancy | 1,992 | 3,446 |
| Annual Donations to SLU | $15.6 million | $66 million |
| Grant, contract and research revenue | $8.96 million | $65.8 million |
| University endowment | $93 million | $970 million |
| Net assets | $504.3 million | $1.4 billion |
| Annual Full scholarships awarded | 0 | 30 |
| Faculty/Staff mission-related programs | 0 | 24 |
| Doctorates awarded | 94 | 157 |
The campus itself has expanded significantly in his twenty years as well.
| 1987 | 2007 | |
|---|---|---|
| SLU-owned Buildings | 62 | 127 |
| SLU-owned acres in Midtown St. Louis | 113 | 234 |
| SLU public safety officers | 53 | 103 |
Among the largest expansions are the Chaifetz Arena and the Doisy Research Center, both of which are scheduled to be open and in full use during the 2007-08 academic year.
In a recent interview, upon being asked what he hoped his legacy at SLU would be, Biondi responded, "That I leave my successor with a university that is recognized across the nation as the finest Catholic university in the United States. That is my vision for SLU and, I hope, my legacy."
[edit] References
- ^ Table below taken from "Universitas: Saint Louis University," Volume 34, Issue 1. Copyright St. Louis University.
